BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -
Indiana University Men's Tennis Head Coach Randy Bloemendaal was the subject of an article published in the Sept./Oct. issue of Indiana Alumni Magazine.

Courteosy of the Indiana Alumni Magazine and J.D. Denny

Randy Bloemendaal, the new head coach of the Hoosier men's tennis team, doesn't hold back when it comes to setting goals for his team. "If we're going to compete in the Big Ten, why not win it?" asks Blomendaal. "If you win the Big Ten, why not the NCAAs?"

Bloemendaal - who was promoted to head coach after serving for two seasons as the team's assistant coach under longtime head coach Ken Hydinger - brings his optimistic logic to the top of the Hoosier program that finished the 2006-07 season 15-12 overall and 4-6 in the Big Ten.

He says that it's natural for athletes to find their comfort zone and settle for a certain level of achievement.

"If you don't start shooting for [championships], you're not going to stretch yourself," says Blomendaal, who was head coach at Charleston (S.C.) Southern University before coming to IU.

Two of the players who will be working toward those goals in 2007-08 are seniors Thomas Richter and Dara McLoughlin. Richter finished 6-5 last season at No. 1 singles, while McLoughlin was 1-1 in the No. 1 spot. The two often paired up for No. 1 doubles, and they tallied a 14-8 record, including a 5-3 record against nationally-ranked opponents.

What should Richter, McLoughlin, and the rest of the Hoosiers expect from Bloemendaal as head coach?

"I value work ethic probably more than talent," says Blomendaal, who adds that talent must be at a high level to win championships.

"At the end of the day," he says, "you've got to hit thousands of shots, have good legs and be strong - there are no short-cuts to any of those."